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Our SPECIAL ZAZENKAI & TALK with GUSTAV ERICSSON

Please join us for a special Zazenkai with my Dharma Brother, Gustav Ericsson, who is visiting Treeleaf Tsukuba, Japan from Sweden!

Gustav Ericcson is a Dharma successor of our Gudo Wafu Nishijima Roshi (Jundo's Teacher and Taigu's "Grand" Teacher) and, since 2010, also a Lutheran Priest with the Church of Sweden, which is the largest Christian church organization in Sweden and largest Lutheran church in the world. In 2009 he founded Anzenkai, which is an interreligious network of friends based on daily shikantaza zazen. He is also a former prison guard before becoming a Lutheran priest. Obviously, Gustav is very interested in the intersection of Buddhist and Christian Teachings. You can read an interview with Gustav HERE.

Here is something that Gustav wrote on his website for his sitting community in Sweden, Anzenkai.com, and I hope he will speak about when he joins us ...

Anzenkai is not based on any particular religious creed. Some of us are Christians, some are Buddhists, and some belong to other traditions or none at all. We all practice zazen together as friends, enriched by our diversity.

I'd like to sit in the hangout, if there is sufficient space. Looking forward to this special Zazenkai.

Gassho
Yugen

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Please take all my comments with a grain of salt - I am a novice priest and anything I say is to be taken with a good dose of skepticism - Shodo Yugen

7pm Pacific time? This one I can do live. Will I be able to join the hangout with the hangouts app on my phone? Anyone tried that? It would be so much easier than trying to fidget with my webcam! Plus my phone doesn't hum as much as the computer, which would be nice.

7pm Pacific time? This one I can do live. Will I be able to join the hangout with the hangouts app on my phone? Anyone tried that? It would be so much easier than trying to fidget with my webcam! Plus my phone doesn't hum as much as the computer, which would be nice.

Hey Amelia ... I have used my Google+ app on Android tablet with no issues.

Gassho
Shingen

RINDO SHINGEN
倫道 真現

As a trainee priest, please take any commentary by me on matters of the Dharma with a pinch of salt.

Dear All,DUE TO GUSTAV'S TRAVEL, START TIME HAS BEEN MOVED 30 MINUTES LATER. NEW TIMES BELOW.

I am sorry for the inconvenience, but he is coming early in the morning all the way from the other side of Japan just for our sitting! We are still cutting the time close, but we should make it.

Right now, Zazen and Gustav's Talk will commence from 11:30am Japan time Monday morning, which is New York 10:30pm, Los Angeles 7:30pm (Tuesday night). Unfortunately, because the world is round, that is London 3:30am and Paris 4:30am (early Wednesday morning).

The Zazenkai will be between one hour and 90 minutes in length.

Right now, I have the following people reserved for the Hangout. Please let me know as soon as possible if you no longer can make it ...

I think we have room for one more before it is a full house. The above individuals will receive an invite to join the Hangout about 15 minutes before the hangout start. I hope others can join us "one way" on the screen I will post at the top of this thread shortly before the Zazenkai.

Dear All,JUST A RE-MINDER THAT, DUE TO GUSTAV'S TRAVEL, START TIME WAS MOVED 30 MINUTES LATER, TO THE FOLLOWING.

Right now, Zazen and Gustav's Talk will commence from 11:30am Japan time Monday morning, which is New York 10:30pm, Los Angeles 7:30pm (Tuesday night). Unfortunately, because the world is round, that is London 3:30am and Paris 4:30am (early Wednesday morning).

The Zazenkai will be between one hour and 90 minutes in length.

I have the following people reserved for the Hangout.

Jundo & Gustav
Yugen
Koshin
Shingen
Droclose
Kyonin
Joe
Amelia
Risho

The above individuals will receive an invite to join the Hangout about 15 minutes before the hangout start. I hope others can join us "one way" on the screen I will post at the top of this thread shortly before the Zazenkai.

I am ready for the Zazenkai, but there is some heavy thunder and rain over here, so if I do not join on time or dissappear in the middle, surely it is due a power outage, so feel free to use my spot ( something Sheldon would never say )

Marvelous, absolutely marvelous. Gustav is indeed inspirational. It occurs to me you can tell something about one's level of practice by the ease with which they smile. Gustavo and Jundo both smile easily and genuinely.

Thank you Jundo for bringing in guest teachers. Thank you Gustav for sharing the wholeness and unity of your practice with us.

Gassho
Yugen

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Please take all my comments with a grain of salt - I am a novice priest and anything I say is to be taken with a good dose of skepticism - Shodo Yugen

Thank you Jundo and Gustav and everyone!
My family, my girlfriend, and my coworkers all comment on how I rarely smile around them. Now this talk. I anticipate feeling pain in my face for a few weeks. But it will be good practice!
Such a timely talk with a Christian priest too! I may send this video to a few of my friends and family.

Thank you again everyone, it was a good lesson to sit with all of you.

Thank you all who sat, will sit and, those who participated; Gustav for being here and Jundo for arranging that. A special thanks to Gustav, the dragon who is working hard to cement the bonds of interfaith unity. Thank you for joining us and sharing your story and your wisdom. It would be good if you could do this again sometime. Your shining faith and infectious smile are great to have around.

gassho,

仁道 生開 - Jindo Shokai "Open to life in a benevolent way"
Just another itinerant monk going nowhere; try somewhere else to listen to someone who really knows.

Thank you Just Gustav It was a great sincere talk, much appreciated to travel so far just to be with us, maybe we will hear from you now you just found the way of G+ ... Now, time to sit again, smiling

Thank you Gustav and Jundo. I enjoyed this...the idea that we can be so open to all opinions and beliefs to the extent that it allows love and compassion to blossom. This in turn links to the defencelessness of zazen, a return to the open childlike state. My Grandpa used to say that when we smile the world smiles with you, but when you cry you cry alone...maybe we should add that our open smile can break this! Gassho.

Thank you Gustav for taking the time to share with us, and also to you Jundo for organizing these talks, I am enjoying them very much.
Gassho, Jakudo.

Gassho, Shawn Jakudo Hinton
It all begins when we say, “I”. Everything that follows is illusion.
"Even to speak the word Buddha is dragging in the mud soaking wet; Even to say the word Zen is a total embarrassment."
寂道

I just come back from Kyoto and met Gustav there. So clear. So easy. So close. I am so grateful to have met a brother I have left yesterday and will meet tomorrow. The ineffable works in mysterious ways.